'Gay panic' is insidious. It is corrupt because it appeals to a public that is used to discarding and disregarding gay lives. |
"Gay panic" is insidious. It appeals to juries, who are allegedly made up of random members of the community. What defense lawyers know is that most people are repulsed by the idea of gay ---especially gay male--- sex. Those lawyers know that a claim of defense against an alleged gay sexual advance will win points with the jury of peers. |
And let's not make any mistake, or gloss over that fact: Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are at risk every day of their lives. Not only are we the group most at risk of violence, we are most at risk of job discrimination, losing our families; homophobia retains its title as the last socially acceptable form of bigotry. |
As far as we're concerned, when Ford made its statement to us last month, the matter was finished and we went on with our lives. The AFA can't seem to do the same. |
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are at risk every day of their lives. |
GLBT people across this country only want equality and to be left alone, left to pursue our dreams and aspirations and our part of the American promise, which should be our birthright. |
Is it any wonder that those who attack us feel they have a license to do so? A license to kill? Police won't investigate. Juries won't convict. The public still thinks our lives are a political issue, defined by the mythic "Gay Agenda." America. You Kill Me! America kills all of us. |
John Ashcroft is not a friend of liberty and justice. George Bush, the appointed president, is not someone who ---prior to a month ago--- ever demonstrated any insight or acuity about the world around him. Have these men been born again, again? |
Our call to people of goodwill and justice, and especially to all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people, and those who support and love us ---our allies in the fight for liberty and justice for all--- is to take action. |
The Wayne County Prosecutor's office has been very aggressive in this case and we have every confidence that they will prevail in this case and some sense of justice will be achieved for Sal and his family. |
This guy looks pretty gay to me. |
This guy looks pretty gay to me. I'm willing to believe they didn't intend it to be a gay man, but I don't believe they're shocked someone would draw that conclusion. |
We can not live as disposable people. The broader community, which has firmly established compulsory heterosexuality as the law of the universe, has to get over its problem with us. |
We just thought it would be important to have a presence right here ... a place to relax a little bit, warm up and find out what's going on around town. |
We think this issue needs to matter to anyone who believes in true equal opportunity and justice. If we learned anything from our experience with the Proposal 2 battle, it's that these attempts to allow discrimination in Michigan must be stopped and a united effort by many communities is the only hope to stop them. |